A Census of Ireland, circa 1659 represents the only known actual
numbering of the people of Ireland prior to 1821. The lists are arranged
geographically by counties, thereunder by baronies, parishes and townlands.
In the cities the arrangement is by parish and street. For each townland or
street the census provides the total number of inhabitants and the
proportion of English, Irish and Scottish residing there. The introduction
needs to be read carefully concerning the meaning of the distribution
figures for English, Scottish and Irish.

There are no census returns for the five counties of Cavan, Galway, Mayo,
Tyrone and Wicklow, plus no returns for four baronies in Cork and nine
baronies in Meath.

The surviving returns provide the names, numbers of people in each
parish, plus the names of the "Titulado," landowners who could be
of either sex, a nobleman, baronet, gentleman, esquire, military officer, or
adventurer. Many of the Titulado were Irish Catholics demonstrating that
there were many exceptions to the enforced transportation of the Irish
Catholic nobility following the Cromwellian subjugation of Ireland. The
returns also list at the end of each barony the main Irish surnames in the
area in 1659 and the numbers of families of each.

The appendices include the complete texts of the Irish Poll-Money
Ordinances of 1660 and 1661, with lists, county by county of the people
responsible for collecting the taxes.